Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsFrequent SymptomsPrerenal AKI SymptomsIntrinsic AKI SymptomsPostrenal AKI SymptomsWhen to See a DoctorFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Acute Renal Failure GuideCauses and Risk Factors of Acute Renal Failure
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Frequent Symptoms
Prerenal AKI Symptoms
Intrinsic AKI Symptoms
Postrenal AKI Symptoms
When to See a Doctor
Frequently Asked Questions
Next in Acute Renal Failure Guide
Acute renal failure, known today asacute kidney injury(AKI), is the sudden and often temporary loss of kidney function. It is a condition that develops rapidly over the course of several hours or days and typically occurs in people who are critically ill and already in the hospital.
As the kidneys stop functioning, waste products meant to be filtered from the blood begin to accumulate, setting off a cascade of symptoms including decreased urination, nausea, fatigue, shortness of breath, and swelling due to the retention of fluid.
Some cases of AKI will only have subtle symptoms that are barely felt. Others may be severe and even life-threatening.
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When symptoms do appear, they tend to do so within a week of the impairment or injury and sometimes within hours.
Many of the characteristic symptoms of AKI are related to a condition known asuremic encephalopathyin which the accumulation of urea,creatinine, and other substances in the blood trigger disturbances in the brain, affecting not only bodily functions but mental processes, as well.
The common signs and symptoms of AKI may include:
Severe cases can lead to death, mostly due to complications ofsepsis, respiratory failure, or multiple organ failure.
While each will lead to the same outcome—the build-up of toxic waste in the body—the underlying impairment will carry its own set of symptoms, of which AKI would be considered a complication.
The most common causes of prerenal causes of AKI (also known as prerenal azotemia) are severedehydration,heart failure, andliver cirrhosis, all of which can impair blood flow to the kidneys.
Examples of this include:
What to Know About Renal Insufficiency
The most common cause of intrinsic AKI is kidney damage related to such conditions as glomerulonephritis, acute tubular necrosis, and acute interstitial nephritis.
Among some of the differentiating symptoms:
While AKI may not cause symptoms and only be discovered when evaluating an unrelated illness, there are certain signs and symptom that may suggest acute kidney failure.
When to Call Your DoctorSeek medical care if you experience the following symptoms:Increased water retention with swelling of the legs, face, or handsSudden shortness of breathSudden fatigue or marked changes in energy levelsDecreased urinary output, oftentimes with very dark urineEasy bruisingPersistent or recurrent dizziness and lightheadedness
When to Call Your Doctor
Seek medical care if you experience the following symptoms:Increased water retention with swelling of the legs, face, or handsSudden shortness of breathSudden fatigue or marked changes in energy levelsDecreased urinary output, oftentimes with very dark urineEasy bruisingPersistent or recurrent dizziness and lightheadedness
Seek medical care if you experience the following symptoms:
On the other hand, you should seek immediate emergency care if you experience any of the following:
Acute renal failure develops rapidly, usually over the course of 48 hours. Early signs and symptoms include:Decreased urine outputSwelling of the legs, ankles, and feetFatigue and weaknessShortness of breathNauseaIrregular heartbeat
Acute renal failure develops rapidly, usually over the course of 48 hours. Early signs and symptoms include:
Dyspnea(shortness of breath) is the main respiratory symptom. Acute renal failure can cause the build-up of acid in the bloodstream, leading to fluid in the lungs and decreasing the amount of oxygen that enters the bloodstream. The lack of oxygen and increased carbon dioxide levels are what lead to shortness of breath.
Oftentimes they are, depending on the cause, your general health, and how quickly and successfully the cause is treated. Certainly, acute renal failure, which occurs abruptly, is more likely to be reversible than chronic renal failure, which develops over time due tochronic kidney diseaseand other conditions.
End-stage renal disease (ESRD) occurs when the kidneys permanently fail to work. The symptoms are not unlike those for renal failure in general but may also include sleep problems, confusion, chest pain, vomiting, rash, weight loss, bone pain, and the inability to urinate. If you have ESRD, you will needdialysisor akidney transplantto stay alive.
Causes and Risk Factors of Acute Renal Failure
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Kidney Foundation.Acute Kidney Injury.Makris K, Spanou L.Acute kidney injury: definition, pathophysiology and clinical phenotypes.Clin Biochem Rev.Rahman M, Shad F, Smith MC.Acute kidney injury: a guide to diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician.Abdel-Kader K, Palevsky PM.Acute kidney injury in the elderly.Clin Geriatr Med. 2009;25(3):331-358. doi:10.1016/j.cger.2009.04.001Rocsoreanu A, Cernea D, Mota A.The complexity of pulmonary complications in acute kidney injury.Curr Health Sci J. 2017;(1):69-72. doi:10.12865/CHSJ.43.01.10Shougang XL.Acute kidney injury in HIV infection.J Trop Dis. 2013;01(01). doi:10.4172/2329-891X.1000101Goyal A, Daneshpajouhnejad P, Hashmi MF, Bashir K.Acute kidney injury. In:StatPearls [Internet].Additional ReadingRahman, M.; Shad, F.; and Smith, M.Acute Kidney Injury: A Guide to Management and Diagnosis.Amer Fam Phys.Hertzberg, D.; Ryden, L.; Pickering, J. et al.Acute kidney injury—an overview of diagnostic methods and clinical management.Clin Kidney J.2017 10(3):323-331. DOI: 10.1093/ckj/sfx003.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Kidney Foundation.Acute Kidney Injury.Makris K, Spanou L.Acute kidney injury: definition, pathophysiology and clinical phenotypes.Clin Biochem Rev.Rahman M, Shad F, Smith MC.Acute kidney injury: a guide to diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician.Abdel-Kader K, Palevsky PM.Acute kidney injury in the elderly.Clin Geriatr Med. 2009;25(3):331-358. doi:10.1016/j.cger.2009.04.001Rocsoreanu A, Cernea D, Mota A.The complexity of pulmonary complications in acute kidney injury.Curr Health Sci J. 2017;(1):69-72. doi:10.12865/CHSJ.43.01.10Shougang XL.Acute kidney injury in HIV infection.J Trop Dis. 2013;01(01). doi:10.4172/2329-891X.1000101Goyal A, Daneshpajouhnejad P, Hashmi MF, Bashir K.Acute kidney injury. In:StatPearls [Internet].Additional ReadingRahman, M.; Shad, F.; and Smith, M.Acute Kidney Injury: A Guide to Management and Diagnosis.Amer Fam Phys.Hertzberg, D.; Ryden, L.; Pickering, J. et al.Acute kidney injury—an overview of diagnostic methods and clinical management.Clin Kidney J.2017 10(3):323-331. DOI: 10.1093/ckj/sfx003.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Kidney Foundation.Acute Kidney Injury.Makris K, Spanou L.Acute kidney injury: definition, pathophysiology and clinical phenotypes.Clin Biochem Rev.Rahman M, Shad F, Smith MC.Acute kidney injury: a guide to diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician.Abdel-Kader K, Palevsky PM.Acute kidney injury in the elderly.Clin Geriatr Med. 2009;25(3):331-358. doi:10.1016/j.cger.2009.04.001Rocsoreanu A, Cernea D, Mota A.The complexity of pulmonary complications in acute kidney injury.Curr Health Sci J. 2017;(1):69-72. doi:10.12865/CHSJ.43.01.10Shougang XL.Acute kidney injury in HIV infection.J Trop Dis. 2013;01(01). doi:10.4172/2329-891X.1000101Goyal A, Daneshpajouhnejad P, Hashmi MF, Bashir K.Acute kidney injury. In:StatPearls [Internet].
National Kidney Foundation.Acute Kidney Injury.
Makris K, Spanou L.Acute kidney injury: definition, pathophysiology and clinical phenotypes.Clin Biochem Rev.
Rahman M, Shad F, Smith MC.Acute kidney injury: a guide to diagnosis and management.Am Fam Physician.
Abdel-Kader K, Palevsky PM.Acute kidney injury in the elderly.Clin Geriatr Med. 2009;25(3):331-358. doi:10.1016/j.cger.2009.04.001
Rocsoreanu A, Cernea D, Mota A.The complexity of pulmonary complications in acute kidney injury.Curr Health Sci J. 2017;(1):69-72. doi:10.12865/CHSJ.43.01.10
Shougang XL.Acute kidney injury in HIV infection.J Trop Dis. 2013;01(01). doi:10.4172/2329-891X.1000101
Goyal A, Daneshpajouhnejad P, Hashmi MF, Bashir K.Acute kidney injury. In:StatPearls [Internet].
Rahman, M.; Shad, F.; and Smith, M.Acute Kidney Injury: A Guide to Management and Diagnosis.Amer Fam Phys.Hertzberg, D.; Ryden, L.; Pickering, J. et al.Acute kidney injury—an overview of diagnostic methods and clinical management.Clin Kidney J.2017 10(3):323-331. DOI: 10.1093/ckj/sfx003.
Rahman, M.; Shad, F.; and Smith, M.Acute Kidney Injury: A Guide to Management and Diagnosis.Amer Fam Phys.
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